Wayne Bennett to quit Newcastle Knights

WAYNE Bennett will announce on Thursday he will quit the Newcastle Knights at the end of the season.

Bennett had been signed to the Knights until the end of the 2015 season, however after the collapse of Nathan Tinkler's ownership his contract was up for re-negotiation.

The master coach's decision to leave the Knights will only further speculation that he is bound for a return to St George Illawarra, who he steered to a premiership in 2010 after a long and successful career with Brisbane.

The Dragons are yet to confirm who their first-grade coach will be for next year and beyond, with Paul McGregor stepping into the job in an interim capacity after the sacking of Steve Price this season.

Wherever Bennett ends up he will leave Newcastle with the Knights having not fulfilled the lofty ambitions the club was pinned with as a result of the Tinkler takeover.